Planchette - SOMA Terra + Pulsar 23 + Cosmos + Empress ZOIA

The goal of this session was to explore the quantizer and sequencer modules of the ZOIA and find a tactile way to control the FX section of the pulsar. The pulsar communicates back and forth with the ZOIA via midi and a variety of CV connections to create a generative melody while the terra is played by hand.

—Pulsar—
The Bass module of the pulsar was used as a pseudo arpeggiated generative voice controlled by the SHAOS module and ZOIA. The 3 bit output of the SHAOS module is sent to the ZOIA, quantized, and mixed with a sequence depending on the value of the 2 bit output of the SHAOS module. One of the Pulsar CV touchpads modulates the master tempo, and the other controls the two VCAs in parallel, one wet signal, one dry signal. The slew rate limiter module on the ZOIA was essential to using the CV touchpad to control the VCAs, it allows you to set independent rise and fall times so I was able to use it as a crude AD envelope. The FX section is in ‘BPF’ mode and setup so that the signal passes fully through the delay and reverb effects in series, with some tone modulation from the 2 bit output of the SHAOS module. Shape, Warp, and LPF cutoff all modulated by slow sine LFOs from the ZOIA. Release time of the bass module manipulated during performance.

—ZOIA—
The ZOIA is being used primarily as a Midi note generator and CV processor/source in this patch. It uses a clock signal from the pulsar to trigger a sequence and the quantized output of the SHAOS module of the pulsar to create a pseudorandom melody in parallel and then randomly mixes between the sequence and the generative melody based on the values of the shift register.

(Clock)
Pulsar Clock Out → Alligator to Euro → ZOIA CV IN 1
-CV IN 1 → Comparator → Sequencer Gate input
-CV IN 1 → Comparator → Random value on trigger → Midi Output Velocity
-Sequencer CV output → CV Switch input 2

(SHAOS generative melody)
Pulsar SHAOS 3 bit Out → Alligator to Euro → ZOIA CV IN 2
-CV IN 2 → Quantizer → CV Switch input 1

(SHAOS melodic source selection)
Pulsar SHAOS 2 bit Out → Alligator to Euro → ZOIA CV IN 3
-CV IN 3 → CV Switch input selection
-CV Switch output → Midi Output

(Pulsar voice VCA control)
Pulsar CV Touchpad → Alligator to Euro → ZOIA CV IN 4
-CV IN 4 → Slew rate limiter → CV Out 3 → Euro to Alligator → Pulsar VCA CV pins for Dry and Wet signals in parallel

(ZOIA LFO modulation)
Zoia LFO 1 → CV Out 1 → Euro to Alligator → Bass Shape mod pin
Zoia LFO 2 → CV Out 2 → Euro to Alligator → Bass Warp mod pin & LPF mod pin


—Terra—
Ecstasy in the realm of distortion polyphonic algorithm. Distortion input FX Feedback and sensor C pitch variation added. Medium amounts of distortion gain (sun), no lowpass resonance(sea), and a moderate amount of built in reverb. Processed through cosmos in medium granular delay mode with some manipulation of blur during performance.

C Blues Hexatonic
Sensors 1-7
C Eb F Gb G Bb C

Cm Pentatonic
Sensors 8-12
Eb F G Bb C


Audio recorded directly into iPhone XR via iConnectAudio4+ interface.

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#terra #pulsar #zoia #cosmos #soma #somalabs #somalaboratory #synthesizer #synth #doom #noise #ambient #drone